USDA's October crop, supply-and-demand reports delayed

Oct. 9, 2013
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by World Grain Staff

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WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will delay issuance of its October Crop Production and World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates reports originally scheduled for release on Oct. 11, according to a USDA spokeswoman. It was assumed should the partial shutdown of the federal government be lifted in the next few days, the reports will be released as soon as practicable after USDA staff returns to work and pulls together and summarizes the producer survey data gathered as of Oct. 1.

During the December 1995-January 1996 shutdown, the January 1996 Crop Production and WASDE reports were released a week following the originally scheduled publication date.

In the absence of government reports, data on crop production and yields provided by private analysts will receive greater attention from buyers and sellers of agricultural commodities. But nearly all would agree there are no substitutes for the USDA reports and data.

The October production report, when it is published, will update official fall crop forecasts, mostly importantly corn and soybeans. The final 2013 wheat crop estimates of the year were published Sept. 30, on the eve of the shutdown, in the USDA’s Small Grains 2013 Summary.

Unless there is a resurvey of spring wheat producers that would lead the USDA to adjust its wheat estimates in one of the remaining Crop Production reports in 2013, the wheat numbers won’t be revised, adjusted or corrected until the Crop Production 2013 summary is published in January.